Fire and Air
by Sminky
Summary: Six years after the end of the series, the bright new future isn't so bright. Aang and Katara call an end to their relationship, and Aang leaves in a huff. He soon finds himself in a new situation with some old friends. ZukoXAang
1. New Beginnings

A/N: I have sort of given up on fanfictions, but this one had to be written. JUST SO YOU KNOW this fic is ZukoXAang, If you have an issue with that paring, just don't bother reading it.

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Avatar characters. **

**Fire and Air**

**Chapter One: New Beginnings  
**

Aang was flying. He felt the wonderful freedom of gliding and he reveled in it. Up thee, floating in the clouds, he had no troubles; just warm thermals and icy, crisp air. Up there, there was no problems, no fights or disagreements, just the simplicity of an action that had been carried out for ages.

Six years had passed since their final battle with the old Fire Lord Ozai. Aang had thought that the world would become simple again. He could learn to master the Avatar State, and live out his years with the love of his life Katara. However things hadn't turned out so easy. Sure peace was restored to the world, but peace hadn't returned to the people who saved it. Sure no relationship is perfect (even though Sokka and Suki's seemed to be), but he thought that he and Katara would always be happy. Now here he was, with nothing but the clothes on his back, the food in his stomach, and the glider clutched in his hands, going who knows where.

*****

The sun was beginning its descent through the sky and into the horizon when Aang started to notice his surroundings. He had no idea were he was going. He had just let his body do all of the work while his mind went across the universe and back.

He surveyed the land below and saw that up ahead lay a sprawling mansion. It was easily three stories high, maybe even four. The grounds surrounding it were dotted with trees, and there was a small pond where ducks floated lazily upon its surface.

There was also a stone courtyard covered in scorch-marks. As Aang got close he could see bursts of flaim shooting all of the stone courtyard, eventually seeing that a person was bending the fire. Fire benders? Thought Aang. How did I get to the Fire Nation?

Something inside of him was tugging slightly, urging him to investigate further into the mysterious fire bender. Having always been one to follow his gut instincts, he did just that and began a slow, circling decline, finally landing with a soft thud in the fluffy grass. Silently he approached where he could her the sounds of heavy breathing and crackling jets of fire.

Awestruck, Aang stood behind a tree and watched as a man spun, punched, and kicked. He was truly a firebending master and the colors of the fire were melding with the vibrant colors of the setting sun. The lush pinks and sparkling golds hit the scorching reds and fearsome yellows of the fire, and it sparkled. Zuko always was right, Aang admitted. The secret of firebending is that it's not just fire and fury, but it is also light and even love if you allow it to be. Aang couldn't help but sigh at the beauty of it all.

Unfortunately, or maybe it was good thing, Aang's sigh was just a little to loud, and the mystery bender heard his little exclamation. A blast of pure molten fire came hurtling towards Aang. His automatic reflexes kicked in and with a swirling ball of air, he dispersed the jet of flames. "Who's there!"? A strikingly familiar voice yelled. "What's your name?" Was the second call that came when Aang neglected to reply. It was also accompanied by another shot of flame.

Aang stood tall, straight and firm as he faced his unknown adversary. He could see a tall muscular man with shaggy, tousled black hair. The man poised in a rigid fighters stance.

"My name is Aang, but most people know me as the Avatar." He declared, his tone cool and even. "Do you always attack before you ask questions?"

"Aang?" the man said, astonished. His stance loosened slightly and his arms relaxed. Squinting against the brilliant sun that was setting behind the firebender, Aang took a closer look at him. His messy black hair framed his face, and partially covered his eyes. What he could see of his eyes was a bright amber. He knew he had seen this face before, but where? His voice had been so familiar – wait! What was that? On his face – is that – no – a scar?

"Zuko!" Aang exclaimed.

"Aang it is you! I thought that bald head looked familiar! What are you doing here?"

"Well, I was just thinking I needed a place to stay, and then, well, then I was here." Was his tired reply.

"You're always welcome here Aang, I figured you knew that!" Zuko said, approaching Aang and grabbing his arm, leading him towards the mansion. They entered through open double doors and began walking down a long hall with crimson carpets and golden walls. "This to your right is the parlor. " Zuko declared. " And – "

"Finally get over yourself, Zuko?" A monotonous female voice called from the door Zuko had just indicated was the parlor.

"Hello, Mai." Was his cold reply. "As you can see, we have company." As Aang turned into the parlor he saw Mai lounging on a love seat. She was reading a book and looked up at Aang as he entered the room. Her cold eyes piercing through Aang, instantly making him feel unwelcome.

"Oh, lovely." She exclaimed sarcastically. "Welcome, Aang, long time no see." And with the she went back to her reading.

"Come one, I'll give you the guest suite." Zuko said as he led Aang out of the parlor. All Aang could do in response was nod slightly. He was starting to feel the repercussions of flying for an entire day. He was having trouble keeping his eyes open and could barely force himself to pay attention to the directions Zuko was giving him. Blindly he just followed through the labyrinth of halls and doors that was Zuko's home.

Eventually Zuko opened a door that did not have another hallway on the other side. I was a large bedroom with a humongous bed that had its head up against the wall. Aang vaguely heard Zuko mumble something about sending a servant up, but he was already sailing towards the bed, and as Zuko shut the door, Aang fell asleep.

*****

Slowly Aang opened his eyes to see his room was full of bright light. He sat up and moved his arms around, working out the kinks. He began to take in his surroundings. The room was painted a clean and brilliant white. The large bed had a soft white blanket that someone had draped over him while he slept. He saw that in one corner there was a small table under a hanging mirror. On the table there was a small wooden basin filled with water. Stiffly he got out of bed and crossed to the water filled basin. He splashed his face and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Turning to he left he saw a door that had been left open. When he poked his head in through the door to investigate he saw a room that was about half the size of the bedroom he had just left. The floor was covered in a pale blue tile that flowed up to pale white walls. In the center of the room the floor dipped down and formed a large bath tub, even though it more resembled a swimming pool than a bath. It was full of crystal clear water that, when struck by the sun, sent bright flashes of blue soaring around the room. Feeling dirty after his journey, he decided to take a bath.

He removed his clothes and stepped into the brisk water. It was fairly cold, but to Aang it felt refreshing. After the initial burst of happy-fresh feeling, Aang let his gaze flick around the room. A basket with a bar of soap and a soft plushy towel was sitting in the corner, seeing it, he found what he had wanted and grabbed up the bar of soap. Methodically, he washed off the dirt and grime from his extensive flight. Once finished, Aang stepped out of the bath, and dripping a path of water where ever he walked, he snatched a towel from the basket in the corner and wrapped it around his waist. While walking back in to the bedroom he ran his hands through his hair, sending splashes of water flying around the room. Feeling a little chilly, he decided to step outside and dry in the sun.

The air felt crisp on his skin, and the sun wasn't yet high enough to completely counteract the morning chill. He inhaled deeply and slowly released the air. He closed his eyes and took a moment to enjoy the soothing feel of the suns warmth.

He sighed and opened his eyes, taking in the astonishing view. From that balcony he could see down the whole valley leading up to Zuko's mansion. Aang could see a waterfall that fell into a small pond before flowing down the length of the valley and out of sight. Following along the side of the river was a path that connected the rest of the Fire Nation with the mansion. Awed by the beauty, Aang stood there, dumfounded. "It's beautiful isn't it?" Aang jumped six feet into the air, shocked by the sudden sound of Zuko's voice appearing next to him.

He laughed at Aang's reaction, "Come on down now." He watched as Aang settled back down on the ground and looked at him nervously. Zuko was wearing a loose morning robe and his hair was plastered to his face. He smiled, loving his own prank.

"Don't sneak up on me like that! I had no idea you were there!" Aang cried, shaken.

Zuko tried to hide his smile, but failed, "Well I'm sorry, I just was taking a walk out here enjoying the sun when I saw you standing there, and I just couldn't resist!" Aang turned and looked back out at the valley.

"Yah, it is pretty nice today, huh?"

Zuko couldn't help but notice how troubled Aang looked, standing there with the towel wrapped around his waist, his hair messy, and the distant look on his face. He looked almost, well –" No – uh –but –well – do you want some breakfast?"

Looking at him strangely, Aang mumble, "Sure, I guess I'm pretty hungry. Just gimme a second to get dressed, ok?" At a nod from Zuko, Aang slipped back into his rooms and found that his bed had been made up and there was a set of clean white clothes sitting there for him. He snatched them up and pulled them on, surprised to find that they fit him perfectly. Meeting Zuko again outside, he followed him and they walked along the balcony for a moment, both of them enjoying the peace of the morning. Eventually, they walked in through another set of double doors, and found themselves in the midst of a death match.

*****

A/N I'm not really sure if I am going to continue this. Please, please let me know if you are interested in reading more. :]

Thanks,

Sminky


	2. Identical Pain

**Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. **

**Chapter Two: Identical Pain**

"How incompetent can you be?" Mai screamed. "That's it! You're fired!" Crying, the maid ran from the room.

"What the hell, Mai? What did you do that for? There isn't an unlimited supply of staff! You can't just keep firing them like that!" Zuko's face was starting to turn red with anger.

"You can't tell me what to do, Zuko! What gives you the right to give me orders around the house when you're hardly ever here anyway!" Mai was furious now, and it was clear that the emotion had been brewing in her for quite a while.

Zuko looked tensely at Aang. "Not here, Mai," He said, almost pleading," please not now."

"Why not here?" She screamed. "Now is as good a time as any seeing as you're actually _here _for once!"

Aang awkwardly stood and watched the scene unfold. He shuffled from foot to foot, blushing slightly as he watched the back-and-forth. Eventually Zuko turned to Aang with a pained expression and asked, "Aang, would you excuse us for a few moments?"

Without a reply Aang quickly turned and exited into the welcoming sunlight. The light flowed over his body, and he let it melt away the tension that had been building up. Taking in his surroundings he saw a medium sized boulder in the courtyard below the balcony. Quickly he jumped from the balcony and settled down on the rock, closing his eyes. Despite the sound of the quarrel inside, it was a beautiful morning. Aang took in the sound of the birds chirping and the scent of the lilies as his mind drifted.

Aang wondered how long Zuko and Mai had been fighting. They had always been a more intense couple, but it was Zuko's frequent leaving that worried Aang. That restlessness was something that he understood well, so well in fact, that it was the reason Aang was in the Fire Nation, instead of back home with Katara.

The balcony doors burst open, and Zuko rushed out, sending a blast of flame at a rock across the courtyard, which split from the intense heat. Zuko let out a fierce yell, and then quieted himself with deep, cleansing breaths.

Aang had felt the heat of the flame rushing across the courtyard, which announced Zuko's presence. Keeping his eyes closed, Aang listened to the pain in Zuko's voice. He sighed; Zuko was hurting, it was time for Aang to once again swallow his own pain. His friend was in need.

Rising from his sitting position, Aang noticed that Zuko had changed from his morning robe to black pants and a loose red top, tied around his waist with a gold sash. He looked every bit the leader of the Fire Nation he was. Aang quietly stood by Zuko's tense form, waiting for him to break the silence in his own time. When Zuko's breath finally evened, he turned to Aang and asked, "Wanna' go for a walk to the beach?"

Understanding that this was Zuko's form of coping, Aang consented.

The sun was warming the air as Aang followed Zuko down the thin dirt path that led from the mansion to the beach. They walked in silence, both barely noticing the roar of the tide as they drew closer to their destination. Zuko was lost in thought about where his relationship with Mai had gone wrong, and Aang was wondering what was putting Zuko through so much strife. _I haven't seen him in this much pain since before he found himself and joined us in the fight against his father,_ Aang thought.

When they reached the beach, they silently began walking along the coastline. It wasn't long before Zuko started chuckling. Aang shot a questioning glance at Zuko, only to see that he had stopped walking. He had a mischievous smirk pasted on his face as he looked back and forth from Aang to the water, and back again. His cocky grin warned Aang that soon he would be "helped" into the ocean.

"Zuko?" Aang questioned. "What are you thinking? Zuko? Zuko! What're you – hey! Don't you get any closer! Do not throw me in that water or else I'll – "

His threat was never voiced, however, because before the words had left his mouth Zuko had lifted him up into the air, and tossed him into the waves.

Zuko was still chuckling when he was hit in the face with the swift beam of water Aang had sent his way. Now it was Aang's turn to laugh, and soon they were both roaring with laughter. The water Aang sent at Zuko met the fire Zuko was sending back, and soon they could barely see each other through the steam; all they could hear was the rise and fall of the other's laughter. Determined to win, Aang decided to up the stakes, and in quick succession sent a burst of water to distract Zuko, followed by a rush of air to knock him to the ground, where Aang trapped him by covering him with sand, locking him in place.

"Hey! Not fair Avatar!" Zuko laughed.

Aang chortled, "What happened old man? You slacking on your training Firelord?"

"I'll have you know I can still take you down! Now let me go!" Zuko demanded.

"Oh, sure you can take me," Aang taunted. "Just like you did 6 years ago?"

Zuko cringed. "Low blow, Aang, but yes, just like the good old days when I was trying to kill you."

"Good old days? Oh, really?" Aang asked as he clenched his fist, tightening the sand around Zuko.

"Alright! Alright!" Zuko exclaimed. "I give!"

Breathless, Aang released Zuko, and fell laughing to his side in the sand. As their laughter died out they fell into a comfortable silence, and after laying their soaking clothes on a rock to dry, they sat in their shorts and silently watched the sun begin its decent into the horizon.

"Aang?" Zuko asked, breaking the silence.

"Yeah?" Aang turned to Zuko, and couldn't help but noticing how his muscles were casting shadows in the setting sun.

"What are you doing here?" He turned to look at Aang, who was now looking off into the middle distance, the hurt evident in his eyes. "It's not that I mind having you here, it's just it's not like you to show up without notice, completely exhausted and dirty, like you had flown here without stopping. What happened?"

"Katara…" Aang sighed, "Katara left me. She said she couldn't stand my 'attitude' anymore, and so she kicked me out. I had nowhere to go, and then I just started flying. For a while it felt so good, just flying without purpose, and I never wanted to come down. Next thing I knew I was here. I guess fate brought me to your door."

For a moment Zuko was at a loss for words. Aang and Katara separated? They had always been so close. He understood Aang's pain, however, it was strikingly similar to his own.

"Aang," Zuko said calmly, "You can stay here for however long you need to. Anything you need just let me know. I'm here for you."

Aang smiled. "Thank you, Zuko, I appreciate it."

Silently, they watched the sun dip into the waves, and disappear.

**To be continued…**

A/N: Well, over a year later, here is chapter two! Enjoy! I wont make any promises about how soon chapter 3 will be out, but it may not be too long! Keep reading and reviewing! Thanks!


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